Heritage(prologue)
by cwiggle
Summary: These are the children of the Avengers. Years later, and the Avengers have been captured. The teens seem destined to be torn from their parents, their families. Only by working together can they change this fate. (WARNING: Just the previews! Actual story will come later!)
1. Rowan Natalia Barton

"Daddy, where are you going?" asked a young blonde girl to her tall and muscular blonde father. The two stood in front of a door in a small, quiet house. The man sighed and knelt down to the eight-year-old's height.

"Mission. Urgent call in Latveria. It shouldn't take long." the man replied. The girl crossed her arms.

"Why right away? Doesn't Hill know that you're on leave? You should stay here." she said.

The man smirked. "You know I'd like to, Ro. But you know Maria. She always needs me. I'll be back before you can say 'Bullseye'."

The girl cocked her head and placed her hands on her hips. "I don't know, Dad. I can say that pretty fast. Can't you at least wait for back up?"

"You questioning my skills, little lady?" the man smiled a crooked smile, but his daughter just frowned more.

"No, dad. But it's an urgent call in _Latveria_? That's enemy territory. You should at least take Aunty Nat." she said.

The man shook his head. "She's on another mission in Russia. Hill said they need her native expertise there. Why are you getting all worried on me now? You know I'll be fine."

The girl sighed. "I'm just saying. Can't Aunty Maria at least let you take _one_ week off? You're never home, Dad."

"I promise, Ro. As soon as I get back, I'll take a whole month off. Good riddance to anything else Hill wants me on. We'll just take some time alone, you and me, okay?" the man said.

The girl thought about it. "Triple promise with extra trick arrows on top?"

"Quadruple."

"Deal."

The man smiled again. "Good. Now, remember, when I'm gone, don't use the phone unless the-"

"-line is secure."

"Don't go out of the house unless there's a fire-"

"-or some kind of emergency."

"And don't open the door for anyone unless it's-"

"-unless it's Mr. Stark, in which case, punch him in the face for you. There's a way out of every rule. I know, Dad."

The man gave his daughter a hug. "That's my girl. Now be good. Take care, and be careful. I'll be back soon." The girl looked up as the man stood.

"You'd better. I don't have any money, and I can't work legally 'till I'm fifteen." The man ruffled her wild blonde hair.

"I love you, Ro."

"I love you too, Daddy."

And the man walked out the door. The eight-year-old locked the door behind the man and watched out the window as he slung his bag over his shoulder, pushed on his purple sunglasses, hopped on his motorcycle, and drove away. She then turned and grabbed her bow and a quiver of arrows, making her way to the back door. _There's a way and a time out of every rule. I love you, Dad._

* * *

A nine-year-old girl pointed an arrow at the front door. Behind it waited several agents in black uniforms, and a tall brunette woman was at the head. She knocked on the door again.

"Miss Barton, open up, please. We need to talk to you." The woman called again. The girl scowled, and drew back the bowstring. "Miss Barton, we're coming in."

Two agents kicked the door down and marched in, only to be quickly knocked out by teargas and snared in ropes. The other agents and the woman pulled on gas masks and walked in. Several more arrows flew past the woman, and suddenly all of the black-attired agents were on the ground and covered in a net, twitching with electricity. The woman looked down at her agents and stepped further inside.

"Rowan, you've already taken out my agents. I just want to talk." the woman said, taking off her mask. There was silence in the exposed rafters. "Rowan, it's about your father. There's something I need to tell you."

The young blonde girl flipped down from the rafters, bow and arrow still in hand. "Maybe you should've said something sooner, Hill. Drop all of your weapons. I should press charges for breaking and entering."

Director Hill rolled her eyes, but she started pulling out all of her guns and knives and dropping them on the floor. "We are a government agency, Rowan. Its legal to break in, and arrest you because you just assaulted government agents."

Rowan scowled. "Don't tempt me to assault one more." she growled. When Hill finally brought her hands up in surrender, she added, "Now, what about my father?"

Hill sighed. "Ro, I think it would be easier for both of us if we sat down. Please, I dropped my weapons, you do the same."

The girl narrowed her shockingly blue eyes. She searched Hill's grim expression. She dropped her bow and the arrow knocked on it. Then she slung off her quiver and pulled out a knife from her sock. "Come in the kitchen. I made cake." Rowan walked off, stepping over the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents gingerly. Director Hill followed.

The kitchen was a small area with a table pushed against one wall below a window. Rowan pulled a large plate with a cake on it from the counter and set it on the table. She gave Hill a plate, a knife, and a fork, and pulled out utensils for herself.

"Rowan, this may be hard on you-"

"Oh, I bet. I'm such a fragile person."

Hill sighed. "Look, Rowan. Your father...He's been captured."

Rowan looked up and narrowed her eyes. "Big shocker since you refused to let him have any backup." she growled. "How long? Who has him?"

"Same night he arrived," Hill murmured. "It was an ambush. It was a simple recon mission, but soon there was one, then five, then-"

"Who has him." Rowan interrupted sharply.

Hill looked down at her cake. "All of them." she muttered.

Rowan stared at her, her hand griping her fork tightly. "What do you mean."

Hill looked up. "First, it was just Hydra. Then suddenly, there were A.I.M. agents. Then Doctor Doom came and...We lost communication after that."

Rowan paled. Her blue eyes widened. Then she scowled, tears eating at her eyes. She threw her fork right past Hill's head, and it flew into the wall behind her, embedding into the plaster. "I suppose now I come quietly," she said, her voice strained for control. "Then you take pity on me and ask me to join you only to help your own cause."

"Rowan, I know what you're feeling. Clint was a very good friend to me. I-"

"You have no clue what I feel!" Rowan shouted. Her freckled face reddened. "Dad was all I had. It was just me and him. I said he should've brought help. I said he should've stayed home. It's because he was friends with you that he left! And now because of you, he's gone." The girl's shoulders slumped, and she put her arms and head on the table. And then she cried.

Hill watched sadly. And then tears came to her eyes too. She walked around the table and took the girl in her arms, and they both cried for lost loved ones.

* * *

"Rowan, I know you're in here. We need to talk." called a lean brunette woman from the middle of an empty warehouse.

A fourteen-year-old blonde sat perched on the railing of the catwalk, hidden in the shadows. She had an arrow drawn and pointed at the woman down below. "Why? When has anything you've ever told be been good?" her voice echoed around the building.

The woman sighed. She already had a major headache without this agitating teenager prodding at it from all angles. "Rowan, you already know what I'm going to ask."

"Then you already know the answer."

"Just come down already."

"What if I don't feel like it?"

"Quit acting like such a child!"

"Quit treating me like I am!"

"Rowan, just come down so we can talk. You owe me that much from our last encounter." the woman said.

From somewhere above there was the sound of metal hitting metal, and then a rope popped down, and Rowan rode down on it. She stomped over to the woman. "I owe you _nothing_." she growled. Hill held the girl's scowl.

"You know what I came to say."

"My answer is no. I'm done playing in _your_ battlefield. I'm on my own now." she said, blue eyes flaring.

Hill sighed again. "These kids need you. None of them are experienced enough. And, they can help you find your dad."

Rowan's eyes narrowed farther. "There won't be anything to find. It's been five years, Hill. He's gone." she muttered. "What you're promising these kids is a lost cause." she added louder. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and fitted it on the bowstring. "Now leave my warehouse before I take you out the hard way."

Hill studied the girl's face. "You know, you've taken on his uniform. I know you, Ro. You're a good person who's just fueled on the wrong ideas. So don't come join us again? Fine. Keep your nose where it shouldn't be? Great. But leave others in the same pit you've been forced to grow up in? You used to say you never wanted anyone else to hurt the way you do. I think you should at least consider helping _them._ "

Rowan's scowl disappeared. She sighed, and looked down. "Consider it being considered." she said. Then she pulled up her arrow again. "But leave now. This is one of those pointy ones. No special tricks."

Hill nodded. "The plane leaves at 6." she said as she turned to leave.

"I get my own transportation."

"Evan will be there."

"Get out, Aunty."


	2. Evan Orion Pym

An eleven year old boy watched as his father typed large words rapidly on a computer. "Dad, can you play catch with me yet?"

"What? Oh, umm, give me just another minute, Evan. Why don't you go see if your mother will play with you until I'm done with this report?" replied the man with sandy blonde hair and light hazel eyes. The young boy sighed.

"Yeah, sure, Dad." he turned and walked out of the large metal room cluttered with machines, computers, different colored liquids, paper, folders, suits, bugs, tools. As soon as he walked through the door, he hopped into the air and shrunk to the size of dragon fly, and suddenly grew tiny wings like that of a bee. Or a wasp.

He flew quickly through the halls of the oddly large top floor apartment, and to the kitchen where he knew his mother would be cooking up lunch. Just as Evan suspected, there was his beautiful mother with her dark brown hair, and chocolate eyes. She hummed slightly off key as she dumped ingredients into a bowl. Evan grew to his normal size and sat on a stool by the kitchen counter.

"Oh, hi Ev. Watcha been up to, baby?" the woman asked as she mixed a delicious looking cake batter.

Evan rested his face on the table. "Trying to get Dad to play catch with me."

The woman stopped stirring and came around the counter to sit by her son, who had his father's hair and eye color, but his mother's pixie-like features. "You know that your father doesn't really like to be interrupted when he's working."

"Yeah, I know. But still. He's _always_ working. He never plays anything with me." Evan muttered.

The woman smiled and smiled slightly. She pulled the boy into her arms. "Oh, Baby, I know. After I throw the cake in the oven and get lunch ready, why don't we go do something together? We'll see how long it takes Daddy to realize we're gone."

Evan looked up to his mother with a smiled. "Really? He hates it when we do that."

The woman smiled back. "I know. Why don't you go pick up your room and get changed. I'll finish in here, then we'll go to the park or the museum, or something."

"Okay!" Evan shrunk out of his mother's arms and flew out of the kitchen.

The woman smiled and walked back over to pour the cake batter. Then her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and answered.

"Hello? This is Jan Pym, who is-" suddenly her smile dropped. "Okay. We're on our way. Just, give us a minute." She left her phone on the counter and pulled off her apron. She headed for the door before her husband walked in, his face solemn.

"I heard. Let's go." he said with that reluctant tone of voice Jan hadn't heard in years.

"Evan, come here. Daddy and I have to leave!"

* * *

A young boy with light brown hair and hazel eyes watched out the window of a small carpeted metal room. The clouds flew past the one window so lazily, he could almost feel the same way. He fell back on the uncomfortable bed and watched the gray-black ceiling. There was a knock from the other side of the room, then the metal door opened.

"Evan? Can you come with me, please?" asked a lean, muscular woman who stood in the doorway.

Evan stood and walked to the door. "Yeah, sure. Where?" he asked, following the woman as she walked through an enormous metal complex.

"To meet someone. I think you both could use some company." the woman replied, stopping at a door labeled, " _Shooting Range_ " in black ink.

She pushed a button on a control panel by the door, which then slid open.

Blue holographic men in ninja clothing danced around the room. Sharp objects flew through them, leaving them to shatter and disappear. As the boy looked closer, he saw the sharp objects where arrows. The woman walked into the room. "Freeze program. Miss Barton, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

A young blonde girl walked over from the middle of the room. She folded her bow, and attached it to a hook on the side of her quiver. "Really? In the middle of a training exercise? Aren't you people against that, or something?"

Hill sighed. "Rowan, this is Evan Pym. His parents are the Wasp and Antman. Evan, this is Rowan Barton, daughter of Hawkeye and Mockingbird."

"You make it sound like we're kids of Greek gods or something." Rowan looked the boy up and down with her bright blue eyes. "Nice to meet ya'. Can I go back to nailing your stupid ninja things?"

"No. Why don't you two go down to the rec room and talk?" Hill asked.

"About what?" Evan asked.

"Anything. You need to get out of your room," she said pointing at Evan, then she turned to Rowan. "And you need to stop shooting things. You'll overload the programs again."

Rowan growled and walked out the door. "Fine, come on son of Wasp. Let's go _talk._ "

Evan was about to follow, then he looked to Hill. "Have you found anything about my parents?" he asked. Hill sighed and shook her head.

"Believe me, Evan. We're trying everything." Evan nodded, then followed after the annoyed girl with a bow.

 **WORK IN PROGRESS!**


	3. Anthony Howard Stark Jr

"MOM! Dad overloaded the toaster!"

"PEPPER! Anthony added a nuclear setting to the microwave!"

A boy and his father held kitchen utensils as swords, ready to duel. The boy, eleven years old, had ginger colored hair and dark brown eyes, also the same handsome features of his father. His father, a playful smirk on his face had dark brown eyes and chocolate brown hair.

"Your offense is worse!" the boy tried to not brake out in giggles. "How am I going to eat my poptarts?"

"My offense is worse? How's it going to look to the press that I let my son live in a house with a nuclear setting for his pizza, Junior?" the father replied.

Anthony got a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Alright, old man, you asked for it! A duel to the death. No one calls me Junior!"

The two were about to engage in a battle of spoon against spatula, before a pretty ginger haired woman stepped in between them, stealing their weapons. Her emerald eyes shone with amusement, but she gently swatted husband and son on the head with the spatula. "You two are going to be the death of me. You need to go clean your room." She looked at her son who frowned and dawned an adorably convincing pouty face. Pepper Stark had had to deal with this look from both of her boys numerous times, and she only smirked and shooed him off. She turned to her husband. "And you, Mr. Stark, are going to be late for your meeting."

The man pulled his wife into a kiss and held her close. "Are you sure I can't convince you otherwise?" he asked.

Pepper leaned up an inch and kissed the man back. "Positive." She swatted him again with her spatula, and pushed him away.

"Figures." the man muttered with a smile and headed off down the hall to the main bedroom.

Pepper watched as the two walked off, and she couldn't help but love them both. She opened a drawer to put away the spoon and spatula, and a red light started flashing in the mansion. "Mr. Stark, an incoming message from Director Hill." echoed Jarvis' voice through the house. Stark walked back down the hall and towards the stairs. He stopped to give Pepper a kiss and a reassuring smile, then quickly walked to the basement. The lights turned off, and Pepper looked anxiously at the stairway.

The last time the lights flashed like that...Her husband still fought crime, but he now held his family and his company above anything else. But the red lights...

"Mom, Dad's gonna be fine, right? I mean, he's Ironman. You can't beat Ironman." came Anthony Jr.'s voice.

Pepper looked down and put on a 'press practiced' smile. "Of course not, Anthony." The boy smiled back, and Pepper could only hope she was right.

* * *

A sixteen year old leaned over a small circuit board with a magnifying glass over it as he carefully tried to place the new microtech. piece into it. "Just a little bit more..."

"Mr. Stark, may I speak with you?" came a female voice from behind him.

The boy dropped the piece, and sparks went flying. The boy flung his arms up to keep the sparks out of his brown eyes. He cursed and turned around, irritated, to a familiar woman standing in front of him. "I suppose I don't really have a choice, do I. Shoot. What do you want?"

The woman with brown hair sighed. "I apologize, Anthony. We've come to take you and your mother to S.H.I.E.L.D. to-"

"What?" the boy interrupted angrily. "Why? We live in one of the most secure places on the planet!"

"Let me finish, Stark. We want to protect your mother, and also...We want to recruit you for something."

Anthony sneered. "I can protect my mom just fine. And as for you and your stupid S.H.I.E.L.D. training program, Dad told me not to get mixed up with your stupid agency. I don't care if he's not here, that's what he'd say too."

"Anthony, that's what we want you to join us for. To look for your father and the other Avengers." the woman replied.

Anthony was about to say something, then stopped himself a moment. "The other Avengers? How many?"

"Ironman, Captain America, Hawkeye, Wasp, Antman, Hulk, Thor, Black Panther, and Black Widow." the woman sighed.

Anthony's anger dropped. He looked down. "Who all else are you asking?"

"All of their children. Any or all of them we can find and convince."

Anthony looked up again. "Fine. I'll join your cause, but to help them, not you. As soon as we're done, I leave."

The woman nodded. "Thank you for your time, Anthony. I know you miss your father-"

"You're welcome, Hill. Thanks for coming. Now, what kind of host would I be? K8T, please show our guest out." Anthony interrupted, turning back to his work. A short humanoid robot rolled up to Hill.

"Hello, Director Maria Hill. I am K-8-T. Nice to meet you. Please follow me." said its robotic female voice.

Director Hill sighed once more as she watched Anthony retrying his experiment, then followed the robot out.

 **WORK IN PROGRESS**


	4. Banner

**Matthew Thaddeus Banner**

A thirteen-year-old brunette boy lay across a sofa reading a fat book intently. He had shaggy brown hair and green eyes. From somewhere in the kitchen, his sister's voice exclaimed, "Oh, not again! Matt, can you come help me, please?"

Matt rolled his eyes and sighed, leaving his book open on the couch. He headed to the kitchen where his ginger-haired sister was covered in flour. On the island in front of her was a bowl with ingredients inside for bread. Matt couldn't help but smile. "You know you can just ask for help or get a chair." he laughed, blowing flour off his sister's face. She scrunched up her pixie features and coughed as the flour clouded up again.

"I was just pulling it down and it slipped, and the top came off. And then, well, this." she complained. Matt smirked, walking over to the pantry to get a broom

"Try to get as much off your clothes as you can, then go shower," Matt told her, kneeling to the ground to sweep up the flour on the floor. The twelve-year-old girl sat beside him to scoop up flour with her hands. She frowned and her green eyes pouted that she had dropped the flour. Again. "Hey, at least there wasn't as much flour in the container this time." Matt said. "Besides, we still have some bread left anyway."

The girl sighed and sat back against the cupboards. "Why can't I do anything right like you?" she muttered. Matt set down the broom and sat beside her.

"What's that supposed to mean, Jen?"

The girl sighed again. "You can't do anything wrong. You're smart, like Daddy, and you can control the thing better, and you're good at puzzles and baking like Mom. I can't even make one loaf of bread without messing up somehow. Last time, I forgot the butter. The time before that I dropped the eggs. Then there was the flour. Then the oven fire, then th-"

"Jenny, stop. Just because a few times baking go wrong doesn't mean you're bad at it. Look, you're just a little clumsy is all. That's no big deal, it happens to everybody."

"Not you." Jenny grumbled.

Matt rolled his eyes. "Did you see the other day when I dropped Dad's chemistry experiment on Egypt?" Egypt the now mangy pink cat mewled miserably from the next room as if to prove Matt's point.

Jenny smiled. "Yeah, that was really funny."

"Or the time I slipped down the stairs even though there was nothing to trip on?"

Jenny giggled. "And you landed in Mom's work files. The paper went everywhere."

Matt nodded. "See? You are _not_ the only clumsy one here."

"Yeah. But I managed to shock myself on cotton candy."

"I dropped a glass vase when Mom stepped up the stairs."

"I broke my piggy bank when I used a pencil to pull out a penny."

"You didn't fall in the public outdoor pool - with your clothes on - when a _squirrel_ scared you."

By the time the kids' father came up the stairs, the two were breaking down in giggles on the flour covered floor, tossing white powder at each other. The man could only stand in the doorway while he watched, until a stray handful of flour landed all over his nice dress shirt. "Matthew, Jenny, what are you two doing?" he asked, his voice calm, yet forceful.

The two looked up quick. "Sorry!" they said at once.

"Umm, I spilled the flour while making bread-"

"Which was a total accident. Not her fault."

"And Matt came to help me-"

"Because I love my sister to pieces-"

"And we were talking and-"

The two erupted into laughter again. And again, their father could only watch and wait while his children calmed down again.

"Sorry, Dad." Matt said at last, standing and brushing flour from his clothes. "We'll get cleaning again." He picked up the broom.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for making the mess in the first place, Dad." Jenny said standing up as well.

Mr. Banner dusted flour off his shirt. "That's fine as long as one of _you_ cleans my shirt." he said smiling. "Now, maybe when you aren't laughing crazy, you can tell me what happened in English." He turned to go change, then turned back. "Wait, what day is it today?"

"Monday." said Jenny.

"March 24th." Matt said. "4:39 p.m." he added, glancing at the clock. His father's jaw dropped.

"Shoot! Oh, for heaven's sake... how could I forget- Aww, Betty is going to kill me." he bolted off down the hall.

Jenny giggled as she pulled a washcloth from the sink and wiping down Matt's swept floor.

"What's today?" Matt asked curiously.

"You don't know? Of all the things you could possibly forget!" Jenny laughed again. "It's their anniversary, silly!"

There was a ring at the doorbell. The two looked towards the hall. "You get it!" They shouted at the same time. "No, you get it."

"You're better at answering the door." Matt said.

"But you're less dirty!" Jenny retorted.

Matt sighed, tossed his broom at Jenny and ran to the door. Brushing off as much flour as he could, he opened the door. Behind it was a tall brunette woman in all black. "Hello, Mr. Banner. Is your father home?"

"Hi. Umm, who are you?" Matt replied, rather impolitely.

"My name is Director Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D. I need to see your father as soon as possible." she said in an urgent tone.

Matt looked at her for a minute. "Umm, please hold on a second. I have to get him."

Matt closed the door and ran for his father's bedroom, knocking on the door. "Dad, there's a woman here to see you! She says her name is Maria Hill of shield? She says its urgent."

The room was silent for a moment. Then the door opened and Matt's dad walked past his son freshly showered, hair wild, and wearing dress pants and an untucked white shirt.

He walked brusquely to the entry room. He stepped outside and closed the door behind him. Matt headed back for the kitchen where Jenny had made a considerable amount of progress on the flour. "Who was it?" she asked curiously, dumping another sweep tray of flour into the garbage.

Matt shrugged and wiped off the counter. "Just some woman asking to see Dad."

"Oh." Jenny said simply. The two quietly finished cleaning and Jenny left for the shower. Matt went back to the living room and picked up his book. He was about to head back to his room to change when his dad walked back in. He had a grim expression.

"Matt, I need you to start something for supper for you and Jenny. Mom and I are going out tonight, and then I'm going to have to leave in the morning on a business trip." He looked to Matt. "I'm going to be gone for a while, I don't know how long. Tell your sister where I am, okay?"

"We don't get to say goodbye tomorrow morning?"

Matt's father shook his head. "I'm sorry, Buddy. I have to leave as soon as I can." Matt stepped closer and gave him a hug. "Take care of our girls for us, okay?"

Matt nodded. "Love you, Dad. Have fun, bye."

The man smiled and kissed his son's forehead. "I love you too, Matthew. Take care."

Then the man rushed off to his room and by the time Matt had thrown a homemade pizza in the oven, his dad was gone.

* * *

 **Jenny Grace Banner**

A fifteen-year-old ginger-head girl pounded out dough on the counter of the kitchen. She sprinkled more flour on it as she rolled it out again. She had blues music playing through her headphones, and she hummed along to its sad, sweet melody. She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, letting all of her anger out on the ball of dough before her. She balled it up one more time then let it sit along with four other balls further up on the counter. Finding a good way to let off steam was a vital skill in her family.

She spun around and pulled out two trays which had small, soft loaves of cinnamon bread steaming on top. She placed these on a potholder, then washed her hands, pulled off her apron, and headed to the basement where her mother worked on her computer, and next to her mom's desk, was Jenny's older brother.

He was curled up in the far corner with a few piles of books around him, reading a textbook called, _College Physics, Second Year._

"Hi, Mom." Jenny greeted her mother who looked up from her screen and smiled.

"Hi baby girl. What are you making up there that smells so good?" she asked.

Jenny shrugged. "It a secret." she said, pulling out her earbuds and stuffing them in her pocket. "A surprise for Matt. And you, of course."

"Oh, of course. Your grandmother is in on it too, I suppose." her mother whispered. She turned back to her work.

Jenny continued over to the corner. Matt also had his headphones in, and he didn't even notice when Jenny pulled them out. "Hey. How's it going? I haven't seen you in days, so you must've gone somewhere." Matt looked up and reluctantly closed his book.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Just, trying to get ahead for school."

Jenny sighed in her head. "But you're already in college. Plus, its spring break! You're supposed to relax forget school."

Matt frowned. "Well, maybe that's how everyone else does spring break, but I don't do it that way."

Jenny tried to hide her hurt. "Could you at least come do something with me today? It's your birthday, Matt. Please, just for one day?"

Matt looked into her green eyes. He smiled. "Sure," he said. "Where are you taking me?" he put down his book and stood up.

Jenny smiled too. She jumped up and gave him a hug. "How about a movie, then lunch with Mom and Grandma, then we can go for a walk - it's a beautiful day you know - then we can go to the art museum for a while. It's been _forever_ since we've gone there together. Then we come home for supper."

Matt sighed dramatically. "Oh, I should've known. You're set on getting me away from my studies as much as you can."

"Even more than that." Jenny said and pulled him across the room. "Mom! Matt and I are going to a movie. Grandma will fill you in on the rest when she gets back from the store! Love you!"

Then the two disappeared up the stairs. Matt barely had time to pull on clothes, a jacket, and shoes before Jenny excitedly rushed him out the door.

"Who's driving?" Matt asked as they walked down the driveway.

"We're walking. Its a beautiful day, and the theater isn't that far away." Jenny replied, though she could feel her brother's scowl from behind.

"I'm afraid it will be a while longer than you think." said a voice from behind the two. They turned around quickly to see the brown-haired woman step out onto the walkway. "Its good to see you two again." she said with genuine gladness. A little, anyway. "I'd like to ask you something."

Matt stepped in front of Jenny. "What do you want. The last time you showed up, our dad disappeared. Who are you?"

The woman sighed. She took a seat on the front steps. "I told you, Matthew. My name is Director Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D., a government organization. I- I'd like to see you two help to find your father."

Neither Jenny or her brother knew how to answer, so the woman continued. "As you know, you're father was a member of the Avengers. And as you know, he has gone missing. And so have _all_ of the other Avengers. I'm putting together another team to find the Avengers and bring them home. Then, take down the enemy." She searched their faces.

Matt still stared at her, not quite sure how to take it. But Jenny spoke up. "What do you mean, bring home the _Avengers_? You mean... get our father back?"

Director Hill nodded. "And there are several other children who wish to have their parents back too."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. You mean the other Avenger had _kids_? I guess that never really occurred to me that those people Dad told us about would get married and stuff." Then he paled. "And all of those people have been captured?"

Hill nodded again. Her features took on a thousand years as she looked at Jenny and Matt. "They're all gone. That's why we need you to help us. To help the others too. Will you come with us?"

Silence. Jenny and Matt looked at each other for a moment. "Yes." Matt said at last. "We'll do what we can. But first," he added with a meaningful smile to Jenny. "If you don't mind, Director. Today is my birthday, and my sister and I have plans."


	5. Rodgers

**James Carter Rodgers**

A tall blonde fourteen year old jumped two feet in the air and caught the football. With a smile he dashed down the lawn and heard a "No fair!" from one of his sisters. He was quick and the makeshift endzone at the other side of the yard was close, but suddenly he was wiped off his feet and found himself on the ground. Standing above him was his father, ball in hand, blonde hair waving in the wind. The boy frowned as his father took off down to the other end, and the teen knew his other sister would have a tough time getting the ball back.

As he thought, in an instant, his youngest sister shouted with joy, and the older tackled her. The boy got to his feet and walked over to where his sisters wrestled playfully on the ground, both with the same light caramel hair and blue eyes. The boy had blonde hair, like his father, yet brown eyes like his mother who came to join the rest of her family.

"Sophi, quit pinning your sister. You know she hasn't learned how to get out of that hold yet." the woman smiled, her black hair in a bun. The older of the girls sighed and got off of her younger sister. The two stood.

"Okay, I finished the punch, and lunch is ready." the woman said.

"Alright, Lindsey. We'll be there in a minute." said the tall blonde man. "Abi still has to make us a field goal."

Abi smiled. "Really, Dad? I get to do it this time?" The man smiled back and nodded. He knelt to the ground and set the ball up with his finger. Abi hopped up and down excitedly.

The boy and Sophi backed up. Sophi smirked as she watched her sister. The two older siblings knew Abi was always eager to do the 'big kid' things. The boy just smiled and watched as Abi pulled her leg back to kick the football into the large maple tree at the edge of the park lawn. Abi kicked the ball, and it soared high in the air, flying faster then a professional baseball pitcher's fastball, and missed the gap in the branches by about 4 feet.

"No! I was so close! How could I miss!" Abi pouted. Her father pulled her into a hug.

"Good kick, kiddo. That was good for your first try. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just look forward to trying again next time, okay?" he told her. Abi nodded. "Alright, let's go eat, then."

The two sisters raced to the picnic table, and father walked with his son. "You're getting good with ball-handling, James." the father said with a smile.

James smiled back at the compliment. "Thanks. You still keep beating me, though."

The father laughed. "I'm older, kid. I have more experience."

James shrugged. "I'll get you someday."

"I can't wait to see it when you do."

The family of five sat at the picnic table and ate burgers and drank punch. They were almost finished, getting ready for another mini-football game - the kids' mother was even going to play with them - when a woman casually walked over to their table. She wore jeans and a black leather jacket, and her brown-black hair was pulled into a tight bun.

Lindsey and her husband frowned. "May I have a word with you, Mr. Rodgers?" she asked. Mr. Steve Rodgers sighed.

"I'll be right back." he promised his wife with a kiss. He stood and followed the woman off out of earshot.

"Who's that lady?" Abi asked.

"Just one of Daddy's old work friends, sweetheart. Finish your lunch, you three, then we can go play while we wait for Daddy." Lindsey replied.

The three siblings did as they were told, and then they all headed back to the field, tossing the ball back and forth. After a while, Steve came down to join them. He and Lindsey talked quietly for a moment, then turned to their children.

"I have to go." Steve said. "There's a thing I need to take care of at work, and-" the man wore a pained expression, as if someone very close to him had died. The man swallowed. "I'll be gone for a while. I need to go and pack right away. So, how about some hugs and kisses?" the man tried for a smile.

"Where are you going?" Sophi asked. "Why do you have to leave right away?"

"You know our line of work, Sophia. Dad needs to leave as soon as possible." Lindsey said.

Steve nodded. Abi tackled her father and held him tight. "Be back soon, Daddy. I'll practice my field goals!"

Steve smiled. "I can't wait to see them when I get back." Sophi hugged the man and kissed his cheek.

"Love you, Dad."

Steve turned to James. "You watch out for your sisters and your mother, alright?" James smiled and nodded. He hugged his father.

"Bye, Dad. I'll miss you." he said.

Steve turned and kissed his wife. "Stay safe." he murmured. She nodded. Then Steve Rodgers turned and jogged out of sight, back to their apartment.

* * *

 **Sophia Peggy Rodgers**

A sixteen-year-old girl boxed a punching bag as hard as she could. Though she didn't notice the chains holding it there were starting to come loose.

Her mind was elsewhere. It was on her mother, who had all but shut down, closing off from everyone, not talking unless she had too. _Bang!_ The bag swung looser. Her mind was on her older brother. He was shy, but he had tried to take as much responsibility as he could and more when their mom had stopped taking care of her children. _Oh, James._ The girl thought. _Wham!,_ complained the punching bag. The brunette's mind was on her sister, who had only ever wanted attention, and now had lost so much of her old spark. She was too young for that. _Creak!_ The chains were barely holding on. Even with a spinning kick that sent the bag flying off its hook, she thought mostly of her father. Why had he ever left them? Why did he have to go get caught? Why did she have to go without a father, and now, without a mother. Why did she have to lose the sibling love from her brother, who was trying so hard to hold them all together. Why did she have to lose the games and laughter with her sister just because the young girl was denied her childhood?

 _Crash! Crack!_

The girl was finally awakened from her angry trance as the punching bag went sailing into the concrete wall, cracking it, then landing on the floor, spilling its sandy contents. She stared at it sadly. It represented her feelings so well, it was almost funny. Then James came running down the steps in a t-shirt and basketball shorts. His blonde hair was wild, and his brown eyes quickly assessed the situation.

"Sophi, is everything okay?" he said. It made the girl's heart ache that he sounded so soldier-like.

"I'm fine," she replied, stepping over to a bench to pull off her gloves and unwrap the tape on her hands. "Just, couldn't sleep, I guess."

James came and sat by her. "I guess I should rephrase," he said. "Are _you_ okay?"

Sophi shrugged. "Fine." she repeated quietly.

The two sat together for a while, and Sophi pulled off the last of the athletic tape, tossing it aside. Finally, James got up. "Well, you should come up stairs. Maybe take a bath, or... watch t.v. for a while. Then, you should try to sleep again. The poor punching bag would probably feel better too if you tried to find a different way to relax tonight." It was a poor attempt for the old jokes they used to share, but Sophi had to smile that her brother had tried.

She stood and gave him a hug. "You should go to bed too. Maybe read a book. I can tell you've been no better than me." She lifted one of her brother's bruised wrists. He always did acrobatics when he was feeling tense. He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I'm supposed to be the older one here. You first. Come on." Sophi gently punched him, and if James hadn't been a Rodgers, even a gentle hit like that would've left him a pretty bruise in the morning. Then she headed up the wooden stairs, but when she reached the top, her brother wasn't behind her. No doubt he would clean up her mess, then come up the stairs, only to continue his handstands and back flips.

The teen sighed. She decided she might as well listen to James. Maybe she might be able to set an example. She headed to the bathroom and started a bath. Afterwords, she dried off, dressed in pajamas and turned on the t.v. To her surprise, she fell asleep almost instantly. And in the morning, to her delight, James was asleep on the carpeted floor next to her.

* * *

 **Abigail Rebekka Rodgers**

A fourteen-year-old brunette spared with her tall blonde brother. She ducked as his foot flew over her head. It occurred to her briefly that her brother was holding back. Unfortunately, he had mastered draining the emotions from his face, so she couldn't tell if he was doing it purposely or not. She blew a strand of loose hair from her face and leaped at her brother.

There was a moment of confusion and suddenly she was pinned to the floor with the wind knocked out of her, her brother's knee on her chest, hands holding her arms. She frowned. "You got me." she said after a while. Her brother blinked, then rolled to sit beside her.

"Sorry," James said. "Just...thinking." At least he _hadn't_ been holding back - until the end move, though.

"That's dangerous," the girl noted, sitting up and rubbing her wrists.

James sighed. "You're telling me." he moaned, laying back on the ring floor.

"What are you thinking about?"

No answer. The girl's brother just stared up and the concrete ceiling.

When they had moved up to New York, their mother had made sure it had sufficient basement space for a Rodgers style gym. That meant punching bags, sparring ring, weights, acrobatic equipment.

Abi sighed too. "You keep doing that." she said.

"What? Doing what?" James looked up at her.

"Spacing out," Abi answered. "More and more often. Why?"

Silence. "James-"

"I'm sorry, Abi," he said suddenly. He looked at the ceiling again. "I just- I don't know. I've been really- really-"

"Off?"

"Yeah. I've been really off lately. I'm sorry that's effecting you and Sophi just because I'm not...all here."

Abi just stared at her brother. She wanted to say something. She wanted to comfort him, say he had done amazing keeping everyone together. Say how much she loved him, and wanted him to just stay the same as he had been before all of this. But she didn't know how. "Can we spar again?"

Silence.

"James?"

"Yeah, Abi?"

"I'm going upstairs."

"Okay. I'll be there in a minute."

Abi stood and left her brother to stair at the ceiling in peace. She stopped at the top of the stairs and let out a breath. Then she walked into the hallway and into the room she shared with her sister who was currently sitting at her desk reading something, her foot tapping violently as if this is not how it wanted to be spending down time.

Abi collapsed onto her bed and sighed deeply.

"So you've been noticing it too." Sophi said from the desk. She shut the book, a little loud, and turned to her younger sibling.

Abi nodded.

"Where is he?"

"What are you going to say to him?"

"Nothing."

"Sophi-"

"I don't know. Something that might make him snap back." Sophi muttered.

Abi sighed and put her hands on her face. "Mom can get him back. Dad can."

No answer. Abi was starting to get tired of all the dodging and non-answering things she was getting from her family lately.

"Abi-"

The doorbell rang. Abi rolled over on her bed. Sophi sighed and stood up, heading out of the door. There was talking from the doorway.

Abi buried her face in her pillow and blankets, closing her eyes and just trying to clear her head. She thought she had about dozed off when Sophi yelled, "James! Come up here! There's someone who wants to talk to you!"

Abi rolled off her bed and peeked down the hallway. Sophi partially blocked the person at the door, but Abi knew who it was immediately. The woman who had started all of this trouble. She scowled, but before she marched out, James came stumbling up the stairs. He walked to the door and frowned at the lady standing there.

"Hello James. You probably don't know me, I'm-" the woman began.

"Maria Hill. Please, why are you here?" James interrupted.

The woman sighed. "You wouldn't believe the number of times I've heard that this week. May I come in, please?"

There was silence for a moment, and Abi worried James had spaced out again, but reluctantly, he stepped aside and pulled Sophi with him to let Director Hill in. James shut the door behind them and walked into the living room and out of sight. Sophi and Hill followed.

Abi crept out of her room and down the hall.

"I know I'm not anyone's favorite person at the moment, but I'm here to ask you two if you would come to S.H.I.E.L.D. with me."

"What?" Sophi and James exclaimed in unison.

"Listen, please. I am putting together a team. Made up of the children of the Avengers. There mission is to save the Avengers. Your father too."

Abi's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry," Sophi said. "I don't think we _can_ help you. Our Dad went missing because of S.H.I.E.L.D., and now Mom is... well, she's not doing well. Your agency has torn this family apart."

"Sophi," James chided. "Director, with all due respect. My sister _is_ right. I'm afraid there is too much damage S.H.I.E.L.D. has dealt already. We don't want anymore."

Hill sighed. "Okay. I won't try to convince you otherwise. Thank you for your time, James. Sophia. Please, tell your mother I said hello."

Abi walked out. "Wait. I want to go with you." All eyes turned to her. "They may not want to, but I want to try to find Dad."

"Abi," James said. "Please don't. Don't go with them. I don't want to- to- please stay."

Something in Abi snapped. She wanted to stand down and stay with her brother. She wanted to apologize, and decline. She wanted to hug her siblings and promise they would stay together always. But she didn't know how. "I'm sorry, James. But, I want to find Dad, if there's a chance. And the others. You say the other ones are looking to help their parents too. I have to help."

The tall brown-eyed woman stood. She nodded to Abi. "Very well. There is a plane that can take you to our headquarters at 6 tomorrow morning. I'm afraid it's very urgent that we get the group together quickly."

Abi nodded. The woman made a move to leave, but James stopped her. "If Abi is going, I am too. I can't let you go on your own. I'm not loosing you too." he said.

Sophi stood as well. "I'll tag along, I guess. Someone has to watch out for _you._ " She poked her brother's shoulder.

Hill nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

All three teens nodded.

The woman left.

James looked at both his sisters, and then headed for his bedroom. Sophi looked at Abi. "That's a brave thing you did, Abi," she said. "But I have a feeling it might only pull us apart faster."

Sophi headed down to the gym, and soon her boxing hits echoed through the house, as well as thumps from James' room that meant him flipping and jumping around again. Abi sat down on the couch, and tears filled her eyes. Before she knew it, they spilled down her cheeks uncontrollably. And then someone wrapped their arms around her. For a moment, Abi thought it was James or Sophi. But when she looked up, her mother was crying too, holding her daughter close.

"I'm so sorry I left you three. I'm so sorry. I love you, Abigail. I love you and James and Sophia. I'm so sorry." her mother sobbed.

Abi sniffled. "Mom?"

No answer. Silence. No reply. Tears flooded out Abi's eyes again.

"I love you, Mom. I miss you." she said.

Silence.


End file.
